good morning. new scandal. the long time president of the amateur athletic union accused by two former basketball players of sexually abusing them as children. this morning, b both the aau and police in tennessee are launching investigations as one of the alleged victims speaks out for the first me. ultimate penalty, a second man sentenced to death for his role in what's been called the worst crime in connecticut history, the killing of a mother and two daughters. the victim's family opens up in an exclusive interview. and know when to fold em. yet another gop presidential candidate turns down donald trump's invitation to a debate.

you no he says he's thinking about canceling the whole thing. you no he says he's thinking about canceling the whole thing. today is december 10th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. on the heels of the child sex abuse scandal that have rocked penn state and syracuse university comes more allegations tied to sports. >> this time it centers around one of the men who ran the largest sports groups in the country. he's being accused of molestation. the allegations come from two men who claim they were molested in the 1980s when they were teenagers. also, are police any closer to figuring out what happened to missing florida mom michelle parker? divers have now conducked a search in a canal behind a home primarily owned by the suspect's father. and there are two weeks left

in the holiday shopping season. you needed me to nag you, didn't you? >> me, too. if you're still trying to cross off people on your list, we have ideas for you. we're going to tell you where to find the top tech gifts of 2011. >> you say crossing off the list. i'm still compiling the list at this late hour. anyway, we want to begin this morning with the allegations of child sex abuse leveled against the ex president of the amateur athletic union. nbc's jay gray has the latest for us. jay, good morning. >> good morning to you, lester. yeah. in the wake of the scandal here at penn state and syracuse university, the scenario has become hauntingly familiar. young athletes and allegations of abuse by a coach. this time the focus shifts to the former head of the amateur athletic union. >> this morning, there are shocking new accusations that the long time president and kre o of the amateur athletic union robert bobby dodd sexually abused young basketball players

while he was a coach during the 1980s. >> that was his m.o., coming in in the middle of the night when you're asleep and trying to assault you. >> one of the dodd's accusers spoke with espn. >> it must have been 3:00 in the morning. i was dead asleep and i don't remember anything but waking up and he's trying to put his hands in my boxer shorts. and i jumped up straight out of the bed. he's not there, but he's laying on the floor next to me down by the bed. and i -- you know, of course, i was freaked out. >> nbc news has been unable to reach dodd to comment on the accusations and written statements released overnight. both the aau and memphis police confirmed they were investigating the allegations. while at penn state, federal agents, local police, the university and big ten conference all continue separate investigations as jerry sandusky and his attorney prepare for their first court hearing early next week. >> this is going to be a one-sided proceeding. this is going to be a proceeding where the commonwealth is going to call witnesses who are going

to say, well, these orrivic things happened. >> sandusky has repeatedly denied abusing any child. a former nittany lion coordinator faces at least 50 counts in this ongoing child sexual assault case. >> jerry sandusky's first hearing is set for tuesday. let's get back to the aau allegations for a moment. i talked to a coach who says his group began to pull away from that organization a couple of years ago because of what he calls a, quote, lack of oversight, supervision and an absence of integrity. lester. >> jay gray, thank you very much. now here is amy. >> lester, thank you. donald trump appears close to dashing his plan toes host a gop debate this morning as the republican field gets together in iowa later tonight. nbc's mike viqueira is at the white house with all the of the details. mike, good morning. >> good morning to you, amy. with little more than three weeks to go before that first

caucus, all eyes are on iowa and a debate scheduled for tonight. but all eyes are going to be on just two of them, mitt romney and newt gingerich. now trailing in the polls, mitt romney campaigned in iowa friday, stressing gop union city ahead of tonight's debate. >> i think there's seven or eight of us that have debated several times would do a better job as president than the current president. so yes, they're all qualified, including speaker gingerich. >> but even as romney praised him, his allies were on the attack against front-runner gingerich. a pac launched a $2 million ad campaign in iowa trying to stop the surge. >> the fact that gingerich was fined $300,000 for ethics violations. gingerich teamed up with nancy pelosi and al go gore on global warming. >> gingerich's sudden rise has even alarmed some of his own party. >> poor ethics has no place in

the white house. i've been there. if you have a personal of questionable integrity, it's difficult to be a good leader. >> peggy noonan writes, he is a human hand grenade who walks around with his hand on the pin saying, watch this. >> issues of temperament have been documented for many, many years. so this gets so personal and that's what's concerning us all. >> reporter: as the attacks escalate, gingerich has taken the high road, declining to engage. >> i'm going to stay positive. i'm going to talk about how we solve the country's problems and i have one opponent, barack obama. >> other conservative rivals are expected to launch their own attack but gingerich has surprised many. >> what's happening here, ladies and gentlemen, i think, is that republican primary voters are finally saying to the

establishment, we're not doing it your way this time. >> and, amy, with these debates playing a bigger role than ever this campaign season, they're going to be 13 before the first votes are cast in iowa and that trump debate appears to now about to be canceled or at least put on the back burner. that leaves two more debates, two more chances for some of these people in the back of the pack to make a splash. amy. >> and chris matthews is the host of "hard ball" and author of the new book "jack kennedy, elusive hero." good morning. >> good morning, amy. >> romney surrogates starting to attack gingerich on ethics issues, on his marriages. will we see romney himself attacking gingerich in his debate? >> well, that's the big question. remember what happened to governor pawlenty out in minnesota? he promised to attack mitt romney in an earlier debate. he did not do so. he didn't carry through.

therefore, he was not seen to have the courage, really, to take on his opponent. >> but are there risks for romney to go after gingerich in a personal way? >> well, he opens himself up, as well. and i think that would give a -- it would give newt gingerich the opportunity to come back and say, well, look at your record. you supported health care. you were pro choice. you've been flipping all over the place. it would really bring him down into the ditch and perhaps give, you know, an opportunity for newt gingerich to go after him. >> and, chris, speaking of debates, we have to talk about donald trump. the much hyped debate is falling through. it looks like trump will pull the plug because no one wants to participate except santorum and gingerich. was this a smart move considering the fact that he might consider a third party run if he's concerned about who is there left at the end of it? >> i think they give too much influence to this fella. he's not in politics. he's not part of the republican

party. i think this election comes down to three people, the president of the united states, newt gingerich and mitt romney. it's getting serious now. it's not a reality show. i don't think donald trump really belongs in this discussion, to be honest with you. >> let's turn the to your book, "jack kennedy, elusive hero." >> i'm sorry to say it that way. but i think it's gotten to be a circus. but i think most people, including the candidates, believe bringing trump into this would add the big top to the whole thing. >> let's head to your book. the kennedy family gave their endorsement to barack obama. if kennedy were with us today, how do you think he would assess how the president has done in his first term? >> i think kennedy's great strength -- recently they asked people who should be on mt. rushmore that's not there? the public overwhelmingly said kennedy. i think his great secret was the line, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can

do for your country. he brought us together by asking people to serve for their country. i think president obama has been forced to join in this division by calling for a populist campaign against the rich. i think kennedy would never have done that. >> and a major theme in your book is that kennedy was thoroughly prepared to handle all of the issues. he worked hard to understand the issues of the day from the cold war to civil rights. he didn't just campaign well, but you say he governed effective olympic that said, what could the current president and the republican candidates learn from that? >> so much of our history is written by men and women who have proven themselves in their youth. kennedy proved himself as a war hero, basically by saving his crew after their tc boat was cut in half by a japanesedy stroier. he got all of those men back alive. being a skipper, being a leader is something you have to learn. you can't just give a good speech. you have to lead other people into battle. kennedy was learning how to be a

leader all the way from the wartime period through 14 years in the congress. he was building up personal relationships and getting people behind him. traveling the country for four years, almost alone, getting 30,000 people established personal relationships with 30,000 people. he really got to know his confederates and build an army of politicians behind him. i think president obama is very much a loaner. he doesn't seem to lead a political force. he's out there all alone and i think that's hurt him a lot. chris, most americans have come to know the lore of kennedy and, of course, a life cut too short, all the divisions of camelot. but what did you uncover in researching history and researching kennedy that surprised you and will surprise your readers, as well. >> i think it will because you think of him as just a lucky young rich kid who is good looking. what you find out, most of his life he was very thick. he thought he had leukemia when he was in high school. he had the last rites given to him three times before he was in

his early 30s. i've uncovered his diary back in 1946 where he's studying the irish/american political tradition. he was learning all the techniques of politics all on his own. he learned how to be a great political leader through those 14 years of study. what i found out, he was a self-made man in many ways, more of a gatsby, if you will, than a legacy. >> chris matthews, as always, it was a pleasure. thanks so much for joining us. >> thanks so much. tom yamas is over at the news desk. tom, good morning. good morning, everyone. virginia tech is trying to recover from another tragedy. thousands of people took part in a candlelight vigil friday night for university police officer deriek crouse who was killed on thursday. police are still trying to determine a motive for the killing. huge demonstrations are being held across russia today demanding new national

elections. nbc's stephanie gofk is in moscow at the largest rally. stephanie, good morning. >> good morning, john. this protest may be bigger than some of the protests in the early 90s. it's made up mostly of russia's middle class. most of them have never protested before. they're employed and they're educated, but they believe that last weekend's parliamentary election was rigged. they also choose vladimir putin's government of widespread corruption. the streets are filled with security forces today, but the government did actually approve this protest in this location. not closer to the kremlin where organizers originally wanted to stage the demonstration. the deputy mayor today said if anyone tries to protest anywhere else in moscow, they'll be arrested. tom.

>> stephanie gosk live for us in moscow, thank you. schneider national has opens, pizza hut is looking for people and taco bell is also in the top five. florida is are recalling 128,000 ford fusion and mercury milan is he dans because of a problem that could make the wheels fall off. the recall affects problems from 2011 and 2010. and if you follow the "today" show on twitter, you may have noticed a thank you in our profile picture. we've reached a milestone. the "today" show has reached more than a million followers worldwide. we're just ten million shy of catching up with kim kardashian. check this out. friday, two children got their wish for christmas.

chief warrant officer chris vega returns from iraq. the sheer delight of his children from harrisburg, pennsylvania. that's the news. now back to lester, amy and bill. christmas came early for that family. >> and you know what? we always keep seeing it, but -- >> it's so good. >> you know, they're always sweet moments. >> they are. and they never do get old. >> they're screaming. bill is here with our first check of the forecast. >> you reminded us all very nicely that we've got two weeks left before christmas. it's almost time to start talking about white christmas and the lack of it. some of our snowiest cities have only gotten a little bit. chief cleveland, chicago, the snow drought is significant. and the snowiest city of all, syracu syracuse, we have less than an inch so far. typically we've had 18 inches

right now. as far as rain goes, we've had plenty of that. way too much. we're at the wettest year ever in places like evansville, louisville, frankfurt. we're going to wrap up 2011 as the wettest year that many of us have ever >> great late fall weather today. the good news, we'll have sunon skies. the bad news, it will be a little chilly. parad ny cloudy skies giving wa to mostly sunny winds out of the northwest. 7 to 14 miles per hour showers as we go throughout your sunday afternoon. all in all, a plus. that's your weekend forecast. lester. >> bill, thanks. now to the search for a former fbi agent who vanished in iran. robert levinson disappeared

nearly five years ago and his family hopes the release of a hostage video they receive will lead to new answers in the case. we'll talk to levinson's wife. >> just a moment. but first, here is nbc's chief foreign affairs official andrea mitchell. >> it is the first glimpse of retired fbiman robert levinson since he went missing in iran five years ago. before, he was healthy, smiling, a father and grandfather. after years of captivity, he appears guarantee as he makes a plea for help. >> for my loving wife and my children and my grandson. and also for the united states government, i am not in very good health. i am running very quickly out of diabetes medicine. >> the family received the tape a year ago, but put it on their website only today, fearing the investigation had gone cold and wanting to appeal directly to

the kidnappers. >> i am sending this message because i need to know what you want our family to do. >> when he vanished, levinson was on an island off the coast of iran, his family says working as a private investigator on a cigarette smuggling case. >> wedding music can be heard in the background, indicating he could be in afghanistan, not iran. but the tape was delivered to a pakistani internet server. was that just to confuse the fbi? >> last year win asked iran's president about levinson. is he alive? >> i should ask this question. i don't know. we don't know. how could we know that? >> reporter: a year later, tensions with iran are rising. >> the fact that we've not heard anything from the iranian government, makes one conclude that they probably do not have him in captivity. >> reporter: christine levinson is certain her husband is still alive, clinging desperately to hope and a hostage tape now one year old. >> christine levinson is with us

now. christine, good morning. thanks so much for being with us. as was noted a moment ago, the tape was received as a digital file, actually, a little over a year ago. you had trouble opening it at the time. can you tell us how you learned of what was on the tape and what your reaction was? >> it took me a little while, but once the problem was resolved, i was able to open the tape on my computer. and i saw that it was bob, you kn know. i was happy to see that he was alive, but at the same time, i was sad to see what kind of condition he was in. although i could see the determination that he is trying to get home to us, the same way i am trying to get him back. >> was it clear as to when this was shot? again one received it a year ago november. was there any time reference on it to give you some perspective? >> well, in the video, bob did say it was 3 1/2 years.

so at that time, it was 3 1/2 years. since he had disappeared. >> subsequently, you've received some photos, as well. is that correct? >> yes. >> and can you tell us the difference in those photos from what you saw a year ago in that tape? >> i really can't comment on the photos because there's a continuing fbi investigation. >> fair enough. and we understand this investigation is going on and that was the reason that you held the videos for so long. what triggered you to finally want to put these videos out there to go public with them? >> as you know, we're coming up on five years. he will have been gone for five years now without any traces of where he is or who has him. and so i am trying to get the case resolved. it's another holiday season. i don't want any more family events or holidays missed by my

husband. it's so difficult. >> did american authorities agree with your decision to put the tape out there? i told them i wanted to put it out there. and as the family is -- it's what i feel we need to do to get bob home. >> the u.s. has been appealing to ahmadinejad government to help in this search. the government says they don't have him. is it clear to you who has him and whether he is even, in fact, still in iran? >> no, i have absolutely no information about who has him or where he is. and that is why we are trying to get information from whoever, the group holding him. >> you and your son have post add video your website aimed at bob's canters. this has to be so frustrating that no one is really talking to you about demand. you don't even really know exactly what they want, do you? >> no, no. it's very frustrating. every day, i wake up knowing he's still waiting for us to

bring him home and i don't know what we have to do to get that done. >> christine levinson, we appreciate you coming on the today and reminding us that this case goes on still after five years. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> thank you. still do come here on "today" police launch new searches on the michelling case of michelle parker including one in a canal behind the suspect's home.

still ahead, a jury convicts a man after a horrific death.

>> good morning, everyone. i'm lisa robinson. the tone here is a look at our top stories.

sky team 11 was over the scene of this fire. it started along the 2100 block of fairmont avenue. one person was trapped inside for some time but firefighters were able to get thenciaictim o and to the university of maryland medical center for treatment. >> fm 1efy uhters responded to e clare born place apartment b cenore 11:s. in annapolis. we're told a creelings ceiling fan in a bathroom on there b0th floor fell and started burning. no one was hurt. several residents were displaced. officials say the fire cy fsed $5,0s. >> former -- leslie johnson was charged with evidence tampering and will serve a year in prison. her husband, jackonson, will serve seven years for extortion. >> something needs to be done about the spike in vacant

property. they estone million to tear down all the abandoned homes in the city. in baltimore city alone the number ofnciaacant properties h surpassed there b6,s. costing the city $2 million each year just to clean up around and board up the buildings. the governments claim the problem on a population dem 1ei and a surge in foreclosures. we're back in a minute with a

>> temperatures have been falling as the wind has shifted from the west to out of the northwest. temperatures drop downtown to 43 degrees and 44 at aeweapolis. up north in parkton,and down at association city 44 degrees. as far as our forecast today, it is looking pretty good. partly cloceey sewses becoming mosad ny sunon, this afternoon. 7 to 14 miles per hour. 42 to 47 degrees. look into ny tt week. much of the same as today. jher ht a litad ne cooler. at dpmrees. high pressure dominates. you can see pren cy dry. hy uh tinuperatures in the uppe 40's to low 50's. next chance of rain comes on is.riday. temperatures in the upper 50's. >> thank you, lowell. we'll see you back here in 25 minutes with another update. yoyo

we are back on this saturday morning, december 10th, 2011. we have an excited crowd out on the rockefeller plaza. we want to thank everyone for coming outs and spending part of their morning with us. back inside studio 1a, i'm amy robach along with lester hoelt. coming up in this half hour, new developments in the search for missing florida mom michelle parker. >> parker's fiancee is considered the primary suspect on the case. on friday, police descended on a home owned by that man's father. what they were looking for and did they find anything to help them solve the case? we'll get details, straight ahead. also, the new movie "my week

with marilyn" is generating oscar buzz. was the tension on the set real? and did the blond bombshell have an affair with the british man? coming up, we'll hear from a woman who was there 55 years ago and witnessed those dynamics on sets. and are you planning to do some holiday shopping today? if so, don't miss our guide to the hottest tech gifts of the season from pads to tvs, tablets, we'll show you what you need to know before you lve the house. but we begin this half hour with more on the search for missing mom michelle parker. >> reporter: once again, orlando police and divers from the orange county sheriff's office were out in force, looking for michelle parker, who has been missing now for more than three weeks. all day friday, divers searched a canal directly behind a rental home owned by the father of dale smith jr., parker's ex fiancee. police say the younger smith is their only suspect in parker's

disappearance. but he denies any wrongdoing and has not been charged. a second search friday targeteded an orlando community park where officers brought in dogs to search shore lines and wooded areas. >> this is all part of our ongoing, overall search of as much area as we possibly can related to this case in hopes of finding michelle. >> watching nearby were members of parker's family, including her mother, ivan stewart. parker's brother said investigators told him they had a reason which they didn't specify. >> the exact words put to me were that information that leads them that they might have information here that they can find to help find her. >> reporter: the searcher took place two days after it was revealed that divers had found michelle parker's cell phone in a lake below the neila avenue bridge. throughout the investigation, police would say just how important it was to find that cell phone for the potential answers that phone technology could reveal. police say the recovered phone

was in remarkable shape and is being examined by forensic experts. the search of the canal is close to where the cell phone was found and is also near the area where the last ping from parker's phone was detected on the day she disappeared. for "today" mark potter, nbc news, orlando. let's get a check now of the weather from bill karins. bill. >> good morning, amy. wonderful crowd out here. i'd like to say they were all here for me, but i think that beautiful rockefeller center christmas tree behind us has something to do with it, too. you guys are from bristol, tennessee. would you like some snow for your christmas? >> no. >> i'll work on that. where are you guys from? >> maine. >> you get snow until june? >> yes. >> you're from warren. nice to meet you, too, buddy. let's talk about what's going on your weather today. we don't have a lot of snow to talk about. we haven't had anything close to that as we go through the middle

of december. we are going to see showers in florida, rain showers in south texas. that's it, folks. it's a pretty dry weekend. it's chilly and cold as you would expect for this time of year. overall, a plus week >> great late fall weather today. the good news, we'll have sunon skies. the bad news, it will be a little chilly. parad ny cloudy skies giving wa to mostly sunny winds out of the northwest. 7 to 14 miles per ho but you've pretty well, yourself. and congratulations, 25 years here. nice accomplishment. if you want your hour by hour forecast, get that at weather.com. now to the emotional custody

case involving country singer mindy mccready. she took her son from his legal guardian against a court order. now mccready is speaking out about why she did it. here is nbc's janet shamblian. >> reporter: she was a rising star on the country sharts in the mid 90s, in high demand, her music sold millions. but last week, it was police who wanted memberdy mccready after she violated a court order and took her 5-year-old son, zander, during a visit with him in florida where her mother is the boy's legal guardian. mccready and zander were found a few days later in arkansas. she appeared in court and was not charged with a crime and expressed gratitude after the hearing. with zander temporarily in foster care in arkansas pending a custody decision, mccready is speaking out about why she took zander, telling abc's "good morning america" her mother was abusing him. >> zander was being beaten with a wooden spoon.

there are scars on zander's back. there are scars on his bottom and her legs from the spoon. >> mccready told abc her mother has strange religious beliefs. >> my mother believes that she is a prophet sent from god. they see dead people in their home all the time or spirits, demons, ghosts. >> gayle inge, mccready's mother, denies the charges and says she feels badly for her daughter. >> i don't believe for one minute that when she did this that she b thought that would be the consequence. i know she would never want to go to jail. >> reporter: she's been there before, imprisoned twice for parole violations. the 36-year-old has struggled with drug abuse and domestic violence. she's now pregnant with twins and says she's in a committed relationship. her mother says mindy is not out of the woods. there are some underlying problems and, you know, the only time a person really gets help is when they want to help

themselves. >> reporter: a famous mother in a very public battle for her son. for "today" janet shamblian, nbc news, houston. still ahead, fighting the frizz. we're going to try out some new over-the-counter products that promise to make your hair smoother, sleeker and shinier. lester will be listening closely. >> i just want one that grows more hair. up next, what to get that special someone on your shopping list. - hey. he went to jared. - he definitely went to jared. that's a peerless diamond. that's the ideal ideal-cut diamond. what? female announcer: jared has five times the selection of ordinary jewelry stores, with thousands of loose diamonds and hundreds of settings to create your own one-of-a-kind ring. - that's an extraordinarily... [sniffs] beautiful moment. - yo, man. you crying? - [sniffs] no. announcer: that's the power of selection. that's jared, the galeria of jewelry.

dad's a real cleaning machine. and look at mom whipping up some kraft homestyle mac & cheese. sure it's easy to make, but it looks like she's been busting her hump in the kitchen. [ doorbell rings ] ♪ let the fireworks begin. hi, it's so nice to see you. something smells good. [ male announcer ] kraft homestyle macaroni & cheese. cheesy noodles topped with golden-brown, breadcrumbs. you know you love it. i can't breathe... so i can't sleep...

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this morning on today's holiday gift guide, the top gadget of the season. mario, good morning. good to have you here. >> good morning. how are you? >> i am well. we're talking about the tablets. let's talk about the tablets. are these direct competitors or do they do different things? >> good question. they are not direct competitors. on the ipad you're looking at thousands of apps, like literally thousands of apps that are out there and people love the ipad for that. it works well. you can connect it to your television. it's great. it's probably the best tablet and the most expensive. >> and you can read books on there. >> absolutely. the kindle fire is going to be about half or even less than half the cost of an ipad. i love this tablet. it does everything, movies, magazines, books. >> so not just a reader any more. >> no. and it has apps.

people forget that it's an android tablet under the hood. you can play movies on it. ooifk very, very impressed. i think this is a great tablet for those that don't want to spend more than 200 bucks and great for kids if you want to start putting them into educational apps. >> i want to talk tvs. last year we were talking -- let's get out in front of that. there you go. anyway, we with rehearsed this, by the way. 3d was the big thing last year. i know internet is coming out. it's all coming together now. >> that's right. it's all coming together. when we said, mario, what are your top favorite gifts? sth a budget breaker for many folks, but this is ad television with internet connectivity and 3d. they're going to range in price from about $800 to this sony to about $5,000 for a 55 inch. >> so you can suffer the web and watch tv?

>> absolutely. if it's going in a kid's room, no big deal, but if it's going in the main entertainment space, make a good investment. >> with 3d, do you need the goggles for everything you watch or only when you're watching 3d content? >> that's a big misnomer. only when you're watching 3d content to the need the glasses. >> let's talk about stuff for the gamers. i love that. this is turning your tablet into and i was sproefd to bring the ipad. can you grab that real fast? >> it's stuck on there. >> this costs only 69 bucks. but this takes you back to the old school with video games. so you put your ipad on here, and then you start to use your joy stick. >> like the old school. i love it. this is one of the latest talking games. >> latest, nintendo ds, it's 93% larger size, beautiful for kids to play, awesome for kids to

enjoy and have a great time with. >> now we're going to move over to the novelty side of things. what does this t-shirt do? >> this is only 20 bucks. you can have a guitar, a piano. this is a drum kit. i can turn on the volume and play different drum sounds. then i can loop these and continue to pull up different drum noises. let me pull up one of my favorites here. there you go. what you basically do is you basically are pushing the pad, playing the drums and you can create your own rhythm. you can have your own kids in piano shirts and guitar shirts. sglalt >> a little geeky? >> no. >> what is this? this is called doodle track. the carries follow a line that you can actually draw. so you can draw the line, make all kinds of designs. kids will love this.

couple up with creative ways for 15 bucks for kids to have some fun with it. >> kids will love that. i think their dads will love that, too. >> yeah. my son is trying to get mine. >> what have you got here? >> these are called siftio cubes. they connect to your computer. so i think these are great for grandparents and all of those that like puzzle type games. i'm going to show you how to play if we were to set a word game on cubes. for $149, they aren't cheap, but they're fun because you can create your own games by going online and downloading your own games to play. we're playing a word game and we're going to start it. as you can see, letter, it will have letters tham come up on all of these screens. i'll show this through the screen in a second. there you go. put, put and you slide the word together and it creates a word. >> very cool. >> tons of other games you can

play on that. >> what is that? >> this is a skype camera. many people are now connecting to share those life moments. free video calls from family member to family member. skype family members are cheap now, but make sure you get a skype certified camera. >> mario, thank you so much for being here. >> i hope that helps you out, lester. >> i know stuff i want to buy for myself. up next, the real story behind the new movie "my week with marilyn." i'd race down that hill without a helmet. i took some steep risks in my teens. i'd never ride without one now. and since my doctor prescribed lipitor, i won't go without it for my high cholesterol and my risk of heart attack. why kid myself? diet and exercise weren't lowering my cholesterol enough. now i'm eating healthier, exercising more, taking lipitor. numbers don't lie. my cholesterol's stayed down. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke

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i'll be right here, waiting for it. who wouldn't want more cash? [ insects chirping ] i'll take it. i'll make it rain up in here. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? sorry i'll clean this up. shouldn't have made it rain. sorry i'll clean this up. wrap up big savings at the petsmart great gifts sale. save up to 30% on all martha stewart pets® products and save 40% on all petholiday products by top paw®. friday through sunday only. at petsmart®. the movie "my week with marilyn" got rave reviews. now some 55 years later, that film's script supervisor is speaking out about what she saw on set.

here's nbc duncan golstani. >> reporter: it was the ultimate in a paring. hollywood's hottest star and britain's most respected actor. >> making her first visit -- >> reporter: the smiles didn't last long, though. the studio hoping for chemistry, but fireworks instead. it was 1966. marilyn and olivea were not only starring in, but coproducing the prince of "the show girl." the shoot was tense, both accusing the other of jeopardizing the production. >> i'd rather kill myself. >> the on-set drama has been captured in no movie, "my week with marilyn." the screen icon being played by michelle william. elaine shrake all saw it first hand. she was the script supervisor on the movie who helped marilyn with her lines. >> is the memorabilia still here? >> yes. i still remember.

>> reporter: now after all that time, elaine returns to the very studios where both movies were made. they would say that marilyn was often late, very insecure and would forget her lines. >> yes. >> all true? >> all true. >> how did sir lawrence olivea react? >> well, i think he was patient isht, certainly at the start. and he really did try to jolly her along. but, i mean, after all, she was the coproducer as well as himself. you know, he was thinking, well, it's her money going as well as anybody else's. she said to me one day, she said, oh, well, you're on his side. i said, we're not on anybody's side, marilyn. we're all here to make a picture. >> from the beginning, she felt as though he was patronizing her. then he said to her, don't worry about acting, just be sexy. and she was incredibly offended. >> but the real movie says the

source of tension was marilyn's relationship with a younger person on set. >> do you think it actually happened? >> i really don't know. she was magic. once she -- you know, watch the film. you did a scene and you thought, my goodness. she can't remember the lines and i would hold my stomach and hope she would and that sort of thing. and then the next day when you saw the rashes, it was magic. >> the idea is that lawrence olivea is the one who gives a poor performance. he's hammy, his performance is absurd. and marilyn gives an excellent performance in a film that really isn't up to anyone else's standards. >> but elaine looks back fondly, and for her, more than just memories of marilyn. >> a gift from marilyn monroe. >> for "today," duncan

golistani, nbc news, london. still to come, women and breast cancer. several studies just released this week are highlighting new risk factores and potential breakthroughs in treatment. we'll run through what women need to know.

still to come on "today" a second death sentence handed down for the murders of a prominent connecticut family. this morning, the relatives of the victim emphasis speak out. plus, tom cruise said says he is working to bring one of his classic roles back to the big screen. we'll have details. but first, these messages. i've seen this before -- the old "impromptu in-law visit."

dad's a real cleaning machine. and look at mom whipping up some kraft homestyle mac & cheese. sure it's easy to make, but it looks like she's been busting her hump in the kitchen. [ doorbell rings ] ♪ let the fireworks begin. hi, it's so nice to see you. something smells good. [ male announcer ] kraft homestyle macaroni & cheese. cheesy noodles topped with golden-brown, breadcrumbs. you know you love it. lugging around a hot water extraction unit can be a rush! that's why i'm carpet for life. but if things get out of hand, there's no shame in calling us. ♪call 1-800-steemer. nyquil tylenol: we are?ylenol. you know we're kinda like twins. nyquil (stuffy): yeah, we both relieve coughs, sneezing, aches, fevers.

tylenol: and i relieve nasal congestion. nyquil (stuffy): overachiever. anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't. >> good morning. i'm jennifer franciotti. the tone here's a look at some of our top stories for you this morning. ãitorenciaiolence in charlesncie after a 22-year-old morgan state

student was found shot to death in his apartment. police discovered the body of brandon cway on in theancdinggs.bl3 of north calvert street. we are told he had been dead for an undetermined amount of tone police are looking into the possibility that druann were related. >> right now it is early in the investigation. we are hoping that com7 tonissu information will be instrumental in sapoving this case. >> the chacosesnciaillage commuy benefits district will hold a regular season to talk about this crime. police are also asking anyone with idrormation to call homicide at $410-396-21 hundred hn. >> state papoice have identifie the man found lying on the street in bell air. he was killed after being run puper. he was traveling southbound and ran puper michael giff. troopers say they have not filed charges against the driver. >> sook teamre b1 was over the

scene of this row house fire which started friday afternoon on fair mopt avendri. one person was trapped inside, but fm 1 ceny uhters were a oe to get thatnciaictim out and take them to the university of maryland medical center for treatment. we're told that fire started in the basinuent. >> fm 1 ceny uhters also respon to a clare born place -- clam 1borne place apartment fm yesterday afternoon. a ceiling fan on the 10th floor fell and started burning. no one was hurt. residents displaced. the fm 1e cy fsed $d. damages. we're back in just a minute with

>> it looks like a nice fall day today, thanks to the weather system mpuping on out of here with high pressure in its wake. teoolerature 44 for us,and southern pennsylvania. 39 in southern maryland. eastern mar niand aroundand degrees. around the mountains, 32 npmrees. t, rest of the day will go, partly m 1eoudy sewses becoming mosad sunon, by late afternoon. winds out of the northwest at'm tore b4 miles per hour. temperatures anywhere from 42 to 47 degrees. then t, seven-day, the ravens game looking good. fro dpmrees and sunon,. our next chance of rain is not until next friday when we will release tinuperatures back into the upper 50's. >> no rain until theint ok with m1 lowel t thank you so much for joining us. we're back inanc5 minutes with

another update. inside yo welcome back to "today" on a saturday morning. it's the 10th day of december, 2011. what a crowd we have here today. 41 degrees outside. >> yes, it is. i'm feeling every part of that, too. i'm freezing. >> lester holt along with amy robach here. we have a lot coming up in the next half hour. in connecticut, three members of a family there, you may recall stwb were murdered. only the father survived. on friday, a jury voted to send

a second man involved in the case to death row. this morning, we'll get reaction to the victim's family in an exclusive live interview. also coming up, there are new developments in the fight against breast cancer. several new studies were released this week tackling everything on the impact from the disease to tests showing promise. we'll help you make sense of all the information that came out. and everybody remembers top gun." apparently tom cruise is saying he has a need -- >> for speed. >> no. a need for a sequel. i can probably recite half a line from that movie. >> it is a great movie. >> i've probably seep it 40 times. we're going to talk about that more coming up. but first, let's get a check of the morning's top stories. but first, let's get a check from the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. hollywood is on edge from a bizarre shooting today. a 26-year-old man walked down the middle of vine street near

sunset boulevard friday, firing at least nine shots randomly at passing cars until police shot and killed him. one motorist is in critical condition after being shot by the gunman. investigators are trying to figure out a motive for the attack which some people thought was part of a movie. now to alleged sexual child abuse. accusations have been made against the former head of the amateur athletic union. some of these allegations are june unbelievable. >> yeah, they really are, tom. good to talk to you again. in the wake of scandals here at penn state and at syracuse university, there are two separate investigations right now. into those allegations claiming child sexual assault by the former head of the aau, bobby dodd. not only is the aau investigating, but now memphis police. that's where the accusations come from from two players on a team that he coached 30 years ago, in the 1980s. they have just begun these

investigations. we have reached out to dodd, have not had any response at this point. i did talk to a coach of -- a once prominent aau team. his club has began to back away from that organization over the last couple of years because of what he calls a, quote, lack of oversight, supervision and an absence of integrity. tom. >> jay gray live for us this morning, jay, thank you. the biggest street protests in decades are being held today in russia following complaints about corruption and last weekend's national elections. nbc's stephanie gosk is in moscow this morning. good morning, stephanie. >> good morning, tom. well, you know, government officials tried to dissuade people from coming out here today. health officials warn they might get the flu. education officials made high school kids go to school. there was one official that said draft dodgers would be arrested. but this is the biggest demonstration since vladimir

putin took over control of this country 12 years ago and i may be bigger than some of the demonstrations seen here since the fall of the soviet union, even back in the early '90s. the people that are out here today are mostly middle class returnans. these are employed people. they are educated. but they believe that last weekend's election, parliamentary election was flawed. they want new elections. they also accuse vladimir putin's government of widespread corruption. tom. >> stephanie gosk live for us in moscow, thank you. the public is getting their first look at two sumatran tiger cubs. the newest edition to the los angeles zoo, there are fewer than 500 sumatran tigers left. visitors are getting a very rare treat. that's the news now. let's head back outside to amy on the plaza. amy, those cubs look cuddly because they're 40 pounds, but they're going to grow up to be 350. >> i know. i always love it when they're so

cute and you hear them go -- and you know what's to come. tom, thanks so much. let's get another check of the weather from bill karins out on the plaza. >> good morning to you. i'm here with girl scout troop 861 from the hewitt school. they have their names and they made pictures of themselves. this is colleen, brook, taylor, grace, lawrence, julia, katie, maggie, anna and christina. very well done, young ladies. nice sign. i did a good job, too. let's take a look at what's going on weatherwise. when we have a split jet stream like this, usually it means we're fought going to see a lot of bad weather out there. we're cooling down in areas of new england. a very quiet weekend. we don't have any snowstorms heading anywhere. it's amazing how quiet we've been since that snowstorm on the east coast that came in october. i guess it's good toers >> it should be a nice fall day today under the idrluence of

high pressure. that means a lot of sun and windy conditions will be 36 by 8:00, 40 by noon, mostly sunny, 45 this afternoon. nation, as always. temperatures there, some of the warmest in the country. that's a look at the beautiful weekend forecast. lester. >> bill, thanks. after deliberating for five days, a connecticut jury has condemned a second man to death for his role in a brutal home invasion that ended with the murders of a mother and her two daughters. we'll talk to the relatives of the victims in a moment. but first, the latest. >> reporter: more than four years after losing his entire family in what's been called the worst crime in connecticut

history for dr. william petit, the justice has been served. >> we are satisfied that the defendant has been judged to be the murderer, the rapist and criminal that he is. and now he's been condemned to the ultimate penalty. >> reporter: hours earlier, a jury condemned 31-year-old joshua komisrajevsky to death for his role in the home invasion that ended in the death of his wife, jennifer hawke-petit, daughters hayley and michaela. the jury showed no emotion as they read his sentence. in separate trials, steven hayes and joshua komisarjevsky were convicted of breaking into the homes, tying them up, beating dr. petit with a basebal bat, dousing hayley and michaela with

gasoline and setting the home on fire. komisarjevsky played his audio taped confession, explaining details of the crimes. >> i hit him in the head with a baseball bat. >> reporter: komisarjevsky will now join steven hayes on death role. >> there's never complete closure. >> reporter: for a family that lost so much. we're joined here in the studio now by jennifer hawke-petit's sister, and her parents. thanks for coming on with us. sinty, your family suffered this unspeakable tragedy. you suffered having to watch two triales and now this. are you satisfied with the justice in this case? >> i do feel that justice has been served. i feel like it was a very long process and that the jurors had

a lot of weight on their shoulders to look at and try to make a decision about. >> reverend hawke, i think there are ten more men on death row in connecticut and i think it's been since 1960 connecticut hasn't put anyone to death. what do you think the ultimate outcome will be here? >> i doubt, from what i understand about the connecticut law, that they probably will not be put to death, but they will spend the rest of their lives in prison. that there are some mem men who have been on there for, i believe, two decades and i don't think that's going to change much in connecticut and we will probably be dead before they'll ever be put to death. >> i want to ask you about some of the testimony in connection.

komisarjevsky, his defense had argued that his life should be spared because he had suffered sexual abuse as a boy. how did that go down for all of you? having to listen to what you lynched to about your loved ones and then to hear that? cynthia? >> i -- i feel that people have to take responsibility for what has had to them in their lives and seek counseling and i don't think it's any skoou excuse for a crime. you know, there are many people in our country who have been sexually abused who certainly don't go out and commit murders times three and create it in such a horrific way that this was done. >> marybell, let me get your thoughts on both of these defendants now convicts who argued that the other one escalated things along. in your view, do they share equal blame in terms of the sequence of events on that horrible day?

>> yes. i think they were nered right from the beginning and they connived even from their beginning through the whole process to make for a very, very terroristic experience for our grandchildren and their mother, just -- jennifer was such a believer in people and a helper of people that she was willing to go and get the money that they were requesting. but the promise was that her family would be not bothered and, of course, she is a very trusting person, as we all are, of other people. so it was a tragic thing for our lives and we go on living our lives in purposeful ways. >> let me ask reverend hawke about moving on from this. as we said, it wasn't just this

horrible tragedy. you had to hear the details again and again in a second trial. so what happens now? how do you as a family move on from here? >> well, we have always been a people of faith. and we feel that god was with our children when they were put to death and that enabled and helped them through that terrible experience and i believe that god will continue to be with us and give us the strength to go on in life and be the kind of people that their lives represented. always reaching out, always loving, always having compassion and care. that was the tragedy of the thing. these were three wonderful women who had so many to give to the

world, and now that's been taken away. >> well, we admire your strength and i want to say how much we appreciate you coming on and sharing your thoughts with us this morning. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back. laces? really? slip-on's the way to go. more people do that, security would be like -- there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can get some work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] now there's a mileage card that offers special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding. thanks. ♪ okay. what's your secret? ♪ [ male announcer ] the new united mileageplus explorer card. get it and you're in. united mileageplus explorer card. why se ttle united mileageplus explorer card. for a why se one-note cereal? ♪ more, more, more... get more with honey bunches of oats 4 nutritious grains come together for more taste, more healthy satisfaction. get more with honey bunches of oats.

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this morning on today appears wealth, women and breast

cancer. doctors, researchers and others are wrapping up a breast cancer symposium. dr. weiss, good morning. >> thank you. >> let's focus on this latest breast cancer study out this week from the institute of medicine. it's providing women with a big picture, as best as science can tell us right now, what are the increasing risks for breast cancer? and if we haven't been doing it before, we need to start focusing on lifestyle, correct? >> absolutely. breast cancer is already the most common cancer to affect women and its incidence is expected to double globally in the next 30 years. and only one of out ten cases of breast cancer can be due to a single rare gene that you inherit. which means most breast cancer is how factors outside my body

affects the inside and my health. >> but even the slim vij tearan yoga instructor with no family history has to be concerned about reducing her risk of breast cancer. >> let's talk about what's been found. specifically, they're talking about weight, what we eat, whether we exercise, how much we drink, whether or not we smoke. i mean, this all sounds like healthy living and making smart choices. but these do have an impact on breast cancer prevention, all of them. >> absolutely. so i'm also a breast cancer survivor, so i have to take this very seriously, both at work and at home. so getting to and sticking to a healthy weight. exercising three to four hours a week, five to seven hours a week is better. limiting alcohol use, which is hard to do with the festivities coming up. but limiting to three or fewer drinks per week. avoiding smoking. those are the well established risk factors. >> and there was a study about the environment and breast cancer risks.

how do environmental factors like chemicals we encounter every day and in products all around us affect breast cancer? >> basically, what we eat, what we drink, the personal parts we use can all affect how our breast cells are built and run. there's so many more chemicals out in the environment today than there ever used to be and our breast cells are sensitive to those. those chemicals can act like hormones and maybe bring on extra breast cell growth including abnormal growth, including cancer. >> and they're in what we eat and products we put on our face. >> yes. you can avoid the hard water bottles and using a glass water bottle or a metal water bottle, avoiding the hormones used in dairy cattle by getting organic nonfat yogurt, as an example, buying organic foods are just an example.

so there are some meaningful changes that you can make in your everyday life to try to reduce your exposure to some of these unhealthy chemicals. >> and as we're talking about prevention, there's is debate that's been going on about screening and when women should get it and at what age or what tests are effective. what are your recommendations? >> breast cancer is the most common cancer to affect women. mammography has come so far. so i recommend digital ma'am om fee each year starting at age 40, examining yourself on a regular basis, going to your dr. and, doctor and getting a good examination. breast health, there's a big payoff in the long run. >> doctor, we appreciate it. thank you for joining us. >> thank for having me. coming up next, what tom cruise is saying about a "top gun" sequel.

sglooe tom cruise is out and about the promoting his new movie "mission impossible ghost protocol." >> cruise says he was working on a sequel to "top gun." i think that is going to be a huge hit. anyone who is alive, that was the 80s, right? remembers this. i saw it with my parents and i remember being really embarrassed about the love scene with kelly mcgillis. it was steam maymy back in those days. >> right after they sang those songs. you're going to wa? we're going to put the brakes on and fly right back. >> you're a typical guy. i just remember the love scene. >> i remember the lines. i think it's about time. that was reflective of the cold

war days. it had a lot of interesting plot lines. >> i'll be there. we'll be back. s bliss.

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clairborne place apartments frosterday morning in aeweapap we're told a ceiling fan in a bathroom on there b0th floor fe and started burning. no one was hurt, however several residents wer displaced. officials say the fire caused $5,000 worth of damage. >> sook team officce over the scene of a fire on the 2 00 block of fairmont avendri. one person was trapped inside. fire officials were able to get that person out and t, treatment at the hospital. >> officials say something neew to be done about the s vacant homes across the country. cissu o+ icce estone costnt 180 million to tear down all the abandoned homes in the city. in baltimore the number has surpassed the 16,000 mark costing the citynt 2 million every year just to clean up around and board up those moildings. the gpupernment's report has pu -- blamed baltimore's decline on

a decline in populatioint >> leslie johnson will spend one year behind bars. the wife of jack jack johnson was sentenced yesterday after pleading gmilllty to evidence taoolering. jack johnson will spend more than seven years in prison for

th> another great day in store. sunny skies, and the winds none as far as temperatures are concerned, we should top out

around 44 dpmrees at the airport. 39 in southern pennsylvania. 4spin southern mar niand. ofhbon the eastern shore. 51 out at ocean city. this will be the high teoolerature today. way out west they will probably jher ht reach freezing. a closer look at our forecast today, partly cloudy skies becoming momiad ny sunon, by la afternoon. winds out of the northwest at 7 tore b4 miles per hour but will die down by evening. 42 to 47 degrees. is.or the ravens gam1 much of e same. a little coomer. fms 40 to 45 -- a litad ne cool. tinuperagreesres 40 to 45 degre. taking a look at your seven-day. we dty net have a chance ml b8: rain until friday. temperatures remain, uplacevery 40's to lower 5ing.s up until thursday when we see a system gettin45here. teooleratures will ris1 but again we're try until friday. >> good news. thanwas hui, lowel t we're back in 25 minutes with "11 news saturday morning." we'll see you theint

it's saturday morning, december 10th, 2011 is. it's hard to believe, but christmas eve is just two weeks away. but you know what? no one here seems to be stressing out about getting those last minute gifts here today at the beautiful rock center christmas tree. say hello to our friends and families back home. we want to thank everyone from coming out on our plaza this morning and joining us. and i know something, lester, that you worry about pretty much every day. finding a way to stay healthier and shinier. >> i actually do. >> really? >> i actually do, you know? >> well, we've got a new waef of products that have been sold over-the-counter.

they claim to help people like lester do just that, fight the frizz, baby. we found four volunteers to try those products out. we're going to get the results, coming up. plus, if you go into a restaurant these days, they claim to have christmas or pepperment flavored foods. david tells us where you'll find the biggest offenders that are bad for your waist. >> he's going to ruin all my favorite things to eat. >> no, he's going to give you things that you're going to go -- >> what i do is i go and raid all the bad things after he's done. >> there's no telling. >> exactly. >> we want to show smu beautiful birds. we have them in our studios, from pelicans to penguins. and, lester, i'm told there's a temperatureky vulture inside want to go meet us. >> i can't wait for these guys to dance. come on, happy feet, dance, guys. maybe we need to put some music on. >> maybe that will work. >> bill karins has a check of the weather. >> good morning, amy and lester. this guy set the bar a little

too high today. today is his wife's birthday. this is his wife, here. what's your name? >> kim. >> kim, today is your actual birthday? >> today is my actual birthday. >> what time did you get the train for you to come here to new york for your birthday? >> we had to leave the house at 1:30 and we were on the train at 3:30 in the morning. >> what does this say here? to my love, happy birthday. good job, buddy. >> let's take a look at the weekend forecast. just showers out there in florida. south texas. it's chillier than we would like in the great lakes, but we'll warm it up for you as we go throughout your sunday. maybe a few showers in california. it's just an a plus >> great late fall weather today. the good news, we'll have sunon skies. the bad news, it will be a little chilly. parad ny cloudy skies giving wa to mostly sunny winds out of the northwest. 7 to 14 miles per houratch the

showers. it shouldn't be enough to ruin any of your weekend. and, of course, we are into december and this is football season. this will probably be one of the most watched football games of the year. sunday night, this is a rivalry game. this could decide who ended up winning the division and going into the playoffs. new york giants, dallas cowboys, cowboys stadium, not too bad, temperatures there around 44 degrees. don't miss it sunday nice here on nbc. and i also want to wish -- she's announcing today to her family, baby number four is on the way. god bless you. back to you, amy. >> all right, bill, thank you. and this morning on today's consumer help for frizzy, unruly

hair. many women swore off the brazilian treatment after learning it contained formaldehyde. but now there are other products claim to go tame your hair safely. >> this is the only topic we have to discuss today. unlike salon treatments, they products don't actually straighten your hair. you have to do that part. but they promise to make your hair smooth, shiny and frizz free. some products last a few days, others up to a month. we asked four volunteers to give us four different products to try. each person's hair is different and the results are just one person's experience. >> so what happens when -- >> busy mom dana hozuda says she struggled with her hair for as long as she can remember. >> as you can see, i have unruly, fridayzy hair. >> her bathroom door is more like an arsenal. >> this is good for the back,

this is good for the front to get it curled. >> if you choose you're like rosan, rosanadana, we selected four products that promise sleek shiny locks and four volunteers that offered to use them. dana was up first. >> the results, luxury, straight hair that lasts up to 30 days. >> after 119 bucks and 45 minutes of washing, conditioning -- ♪ you have my heart so -- >> blow drying and flat ironing, dana goes from this to this. >> well, i feel like my hair feels much thicker and more full. i feel like the color is lustrous and chinany. and i feel fabulous on this. she used the product for a month, but after the first few

days said her hair started to feel dry and stiff. it was hard to get the brush to get through my hair. it was hard to style it. my hair was a lot more tame. the freeze wasn't as big. >> overall, she gave keratin earth a 4 out of 10. the company says keratin earth is safe for all hair types. depending on one's hair personal history and she offer a money-back guarantee. gwen herschman says we caught her on a good hair day. >> if it does rain, forget about it. it starts frizzing up and my bangs get frizzy. she hopes keratin perfect will give her a polished look. it's $95 and arrives at protein from sheep's wool. the product takes about an hour. >> this product is extremely messy. >> gwen's before and after. i would say it's smooth and

sleek, but not shiny. it looks, i think, like it was done in a salon. gwen says perfect kept her hair sleeker and smoother for the month. >> i feel like the too many i invest in my hair is shorter and it lasts longer. she gives keratin perfect a nine. >> i love the transformation. >> for a short-term solution, john free promises perfect hair. >> my hair is bushy, curly. >> kate tries the cheapest product on our list. just 10 bucks for a bottle. here is kate's before and after. >> my hair feels really soft, way softer than it would ever feel after just treating it and it's shiny. >> she was still happy with it three days later and graded it an eight. our final volunteer is heather

scammel. >> i sometimes feel that people take me more seriously when it's straight. >> she'll be driving living proof, using ads 26 cream and a $29 spray described to protect your style for several days. here is heather before and after. >> i definitely like how the roots and the top part of my hair look shiny and conditioned. four days later? >> i didn't see any frizz and i've been in some harsh conditions between sweating at the gym and running around in the city in the rain. >> her only complain was the strong odor of the spray. the company says applying shorter controlled sprays will reduce a strong scent. heather gave living proof a nine. >> so the bottom line, if you take the time to straighten your hair, these products might give you a better result for the work you're doing. but, you happen, some muscle there. >> right.

because you have to straighten your hair every time already, correct? >> well, some of them wash out. but the month-long products do last long. and gwen even liked it when she did her hair poofy. it was tamer and sleeker looking. >> very informing, janice lieberman. thank you very much. coming up next, the holiday guide that might scare you. if you're dieting, it will scare you. the shocking amount of calories packed into some of your seasonal favorite treats right after this.

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could've had a v8. this morning on eat this, not that, holiday treats. if you're racing around shopping

and grab a coffee or drink on the go, watch out. santa will not be the only one sporting a big belly this season. david, good morning. great to see you. >> great to see you, lester. >> the holiday treats are always fun. starbucks always comes out with a nice holiday themed drink, but it's not always the healthiest. >> no. sometimes you see the red and that means stops. in this case, you have a peppermint mocha and it's a little bit of a peppermint fatty, we should say. it has over 4u7b calories. a half day's worth of saturated fat, and it has 54 grams of sugar. >> equivalent to these marshmallows? >> yeah. a half of bag of marshmallows right will. so the best choice is custom size your holiday treat, get a cappuccino and ask them for a couple pumps of the peppermint

syrup. you'll save 300 calories and sugar. >> the muffin is always a popular treat. but it is loaded with calories. >> it is loaded with so many. it's over 600 calories. it's over 5 grams of saturated fat. 56 grams of sur. it's the equivalent of five bowl of cinnamon toast crunch. it's plenty, i'd rather eat those, anyway, and you'll save 400 calories and a boat load of sugar. >> what have we got here? >> this is the peanut putter snowman. and it's truly abominable. it is 760 calories. 760. you know you're going to be eating a lot of holiday treats. keep the serving size small. >> and once i unwrap that, you're going to eat the whole

thing. >> yeah. and it's the calorie equivalent of these seven cups of hot chocolate, the swiss miss rich hot cocoa. go with the reeses tree. you'll end up saving 600 galleries. >> same flavor, but smaller. >> exactly. >> and this. >> this is another i flop, i should say. this is their -- this is their eggnog pancake. it's bad enough in a glass, lester. now it's here for breakfast. it is 2,000 calories. it is two to three days's worth of saturated fat, okay, and it's got 63 grams of sugar, right here, okay? santa ate this and then rue done strained an oblique on takeoff. this is the calorie equivalent of these 66 ginger snaps right here. so you're at ihop, you want to avoid the iflop, go with the simple and fit menu, the pumpkin

pancakes. it's 400 calories. you're saving half a pound of belly fat, right here. it's all about making smart swaps. >> and it's a portion thing, as well. >> yeah. >> but you can't control the portion of the restaurant. they bring what they bring. >> right. so you have to saw it in half, bring four friends. know the score. know what's in the stuff. >> contrary to popular -- you're not a buzz kill because you always bring the alternatives. coming up, some of the look at the world's amazing birds. but first, this is "today" on nbc.nb

this morning on "today" call of the wild, they flock, they soar and they swim. sea world and busch gardens's ambassador julie is here with some of her favorite feathered friends. >> we have brought some remarkable animals today. we have two of our penguins that

were hatched out at sea world. these guys with both 3 years old. i have the fe naturally, this is penny, and that's pete down on the floor. actually, they've made very good friends while we've been in town. >> it's a love connection. >> so she's totally anxious to go down and meet him. i may go ahead and let her run over there. look at her. she's like, oh, that's my boyfriend. >> not all penguins are cold weathered penguins, correct? >> no. p.j., come on, bring them back over here. >> let me ask you, we think of penguins as antarctica and cold weather. these guys hang out where it's warm. >> it's both, actually. these two are penguins from south america. it can get very cold there. not as cold as it does in pure antarctica. but it can get warm. that's why people think these guys have an easier life when

it's warmer, they have to with stand both extremes. so they dig burrows as opposed to just being out in the environment, like an emperor penguin would. they're just created to with stand the coldest temperatures if you saw march of the penguins. >> they're endangered, though, correct? >> many species. 13 of 15 species are declining in number and very drastically. all penguins eat fish and krill and squid. unfortunately those are species that humans are harvesting in huge amounts. climate change is switching where the fish can be found. that means they have to travel further, can't bring that fish back for their -- >> we appreciate you bringing them by. we've got some other critters. a turkey vulture. >> wow. >> oh! >> and i've got some food here for thor, as well. >> i'm sure he's not dangerous, but he looks scary.

>> and that's why i particularly wanted to bring a vulture out. so many people think that they're disgusting animals. >> yeah. >> but they actually -- >> what is he eating, raw meat? >> yes. >> that's what i thought. so many turkey vultures are harboring a lot of bacteria and other things. and so they clean it up. believe it or not, vultures can eat and digest and clean anthrax, botulism, all the cholera -- >> he has a massive wing span. >> they're doing us a huge favor by taking care of all of that. >> now, on the opposite end of the spectrum -- >> grace and beauty. >> cranes are some of the most amazing species out there. you guys might want to take a little bit of that food there and you can put it in your hand and hold it out for frazier

crane. >> frazier crane. are you hungry? >> this is a sand hill crane and sand hill cranes migrate. they can migrate up to 500 miles a day. over half a million will be found in nebraska's flat river valley there at any particular -- >> is this the kind of birds they use as ultra lights for their migration? >> they do that with the whooping crane. most populations of the sand hills aren't endangered. >> what a beautiful bird. sorry, my turkey vulture friend. >> we have rescue programs at sea world that help all of these animals which is why we were able to bring them by. >> thank you for bringing the animals by. happy holidays. >> thank you, you, too. >> back in a moment. [ doorbell rings ]

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th> good morning. welcome to "11 news saturday morning." i'm lisa robinson. >> and isy jennifer franciotti. >> welcome to "11 news pmrgrees morning." [captioning made possible by yo th> police found a man who was hit by a car and killed. they have not identified the nriver. >> a fire that started this week ãitay have been intentionally s. the flames destroyed nine

planes, motorcycles, and vehicles cau1 nngnt 2 million i damage. >> baltimore city officials say they are lgreesrerin45the teooleratures needed for the ciy to offer additional ser moices r the homeless during the winter. now they will activist when the wind shil chill isand last year the number was 20 degrees. under the program, the officials nistr toute idrormation on shelled shelters and people at risk for extreme capod expomiur >> coming up, dr. kim hammond here to answer p"11 questions. th> and the pration free l torary here to help with a reading list. >> plu c m, last through the holiday season. th> and a great, late fall day n store for us today. we'll be under high pressure, suewey souges, and cool teooleratures. i'll have the insta-weat

th> welcome to "lam nows pmrgre morning.oon i'm lisa robinson. and i'm jennifer franciotti. let's start out1 nde with lowel. >> it will be mostly sunny later today. tinuperagreesres will only be ie mid 40's. we'll take it. certainly better than snow.